Pack board



A. J; GOERG PACK BOARD Feb- 5,

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19, 1943 INVENTOR IqL'FEED J? 605/26 B rflv'nafl ATTORNEY Feb. 5, 1 946." M. GOERG I 2,394,300

PACK BOARD Filed June 19, 194: 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVE TOR W ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACK BOARD.

Alfred J. Goerg, Port Angeles, Wash. Application June 19, 1943, Serial No. 491,478

- 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in pack boards, and it has reference more particularly to a combination of pack board, bed and stretcher; the principal object of the invention being to provide what would ordinarily be used as a pack board and duffie cover, but which, in cases of need or desire, could be readily utilized for the making of a stretcher or bed.

More specifically stated, it is the object of this invention to provide certain improvements applicable to pack boards of that kind disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,505,661, issued August 19, 1924, to Lloyd F. Nelson, which employs a wooden frame structure to be supported by a shoulder harness and comprising spaced, longitudinal side rails rigidly joined by cross members, and about which frame a canvas strip is wrapped and drawn taut between the rails as a mean whereby to cushion and more easily support the pack when carried on the back; the present improvement residing more particularly in the design and construction'of thecanvas strip which adapts it to be used on the frame as the cushioning member and as a most efiective protection for the duffle or pack when applied to the board, and which strip is adapted to be easily and readily removed from the frame and is adapted then for use in the formation of a stretcher or bed bottom.

It is also an object of thi invention to provide a canvas cover strip for the pack frame and the pack that might be carried thereon, which strip is provided alongits longitudinal edges with hems within which stretcher poles may be applied whereby to adapt the device to be used as a means for carrying a person on the strip, or which poles, when so applied, may be disposed at their opposite ends upon spaced supports there by to form a bed bottom.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the special features of construction of the strip and in its combination with the pack board frame and in its mode of use for the purposes above stated.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the wherein- Fig. 1 i a back viewof the present packboard and cover as applied about the board frame but without a pack afiixed to the board, and indicating in dotted lines, the extended length of the cover strip.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the board cover strip accompanying drawings,

removed from the frame, with stretcher poles aplied thereto to adapt it to its use as a bed or stretcher. I

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the pack board frame. V

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional details of the edge portion of the cover strip, taken respectively on lines 4-4 and 55 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the pack board.

Fig. '7 is a horizontal section of the board with pack applied thereto.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- In its present preferred form of construction, the pack board frame comprises the opposite 1ongitudinal side rails I and I joined in parallel, spaced relationship by cross members 2 and 3; these being affixed'to the rails near their opposite ends as noted in Fig. 1. Also, there are intermediate cross members 4 in a desired or required number. As observed in Figs. 3 and 7, the cross members are outwardly bowed and they are afiixed to the rails at the outside edges of the latter. As seen in Fig. 6, the end cross members have straight outside faces and concaved inside surfaces.

In order that a pack or dufiie bag may be attached to the board, I have applied a plurality of laterally opening hook 5 to the side rails in spaced relationship therealong, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3, and in the-application of a pack to the board, these hooks are used to receive and hold a cord 6 which may be laced back and forth across the pack, as has been shown in Fig. 7 to hold the pack in place. I

Applied about the frame, across the opposite side rails, and drawn taut between them, as seen bestin Figs. '6 and '7', is a canvasstrip I!) which,

as so applied, will cushion the weight of the pack when carried on the back.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be observed that this canvas strip has a length that may be from two to three times that of the pack board itself. Along its opposite longitudinal edges, and to its full length, the strip is formed with wide hems l2 and I2, open at their ends, and each of which is adapted to receive therein a stretcher pole 13 or the like.

In Fig. 2, I have shown the poles l3-l 3 applied to the hems of the canvas strip, with their opposite end portions extended beyond the ends of the strip as handles when the device is used as a stretcher, or for application to supports such as indicated at l5 to use the device as a bed. These supports may be in the nature of short logs, and.

preferably would have notches l6 cut therein to receive the ends of the poles in order to hold them properly spaced and the strip stretched taut between them to better serve as a bed bottom.

At its opposite side edges, and along one end portion thereof, the strip is formed with flanges l8. These extend beyond the outer edges of the hems, from one end of the strip to a distance slightly less than the length of the frame. These flanges are equipped at intervals with eyelets 20 for receiving a lacing 21 whereby that portion of the strip which is wrapped about the frame may be drawn taut. Also, the strip I is formed at opposite sides, even with the inner limits of these flanges, and just within the edges of the hems, with openings 25, as observed in Fig. 2.

In applying the canvas strip III to the pack board frame, the flanged end portion thereof is wrapped about the frame as shown in Fig. 1, so that it extends across the open or back side thereof, with the hemmed edges of the strip folded inwardly toward each other, about and extending parallel with the side rails. A lacing cord 2| is applied through the eyelets 20 and is drawn tight, thereby stretching the canvas between the rails to form a cushioned back for the frame; this portion which forms the cushion being disposed against the wearers back when the pack is being carried.

When the flanged end portion of the strip is thus applied about the frame, the lower end. portions of the opposite side rails l--l' of the frame project through the openings 25 of the strip, thus permitting the free end portion of the 'strip to be folded back or rolled u as shown in Fig. 1.

The upper end edge of the strip [0 has a transverse slot 32 through which shoulder straps 34, which are attached to the upper end cross member 2, are passed; these straps being adapted to be extended over the shoulders of the wearer of the pack, and then downwardly beneath the wearers arms, and are detachably fixed to the lower ends of the side rails of the pack board frame by means of snap fasteners 35 applied to eyelets 36.

In order that the canvas strip may be wrapped about the pack board frame without interference by the hooks that are fixed in the side rails, I have formed slits 38 in the canvas at proper location, through which the hooks may project; this being best understood by reference to Fig. 1. When the canvas strip is so applied to the pack board frame, somewhat more than one-half of its length portion extends below the lower end of the frame. If there is no pack to be carried, this may be rolled up as shown in Fig. 1 and secured by a tie cord 40. If a pack is applied to the board, then the free end of the strip I'll is drawn upwardly over the pack and tucked in at the top thereof.

This serves to protect the pack against rain or weather and it may be secured by suitable means. To use the strip H] as a bed bottom or stretcher, it is entirely removed from the pack board frame and is laid out flat, and the poles l3, or cars, can be extended through the hems as shown in Fig. 2. The end portions of these poles can be used as handles by persons carrying the stretcher.

If the device is to be used as a bed, it is most convenient that these end portions of the poles be placed upon supports such as logs, l5, brought into proper spacing as shown in Fig. 2. Preferably, the logs would be formed with notches to receive the ends of the poles, thus to hold the poles properly spaced.

When the device is being used either as a bed or stretcher, it may be convenient to have a pillow. Therefore, at one end, the canvas strip is formed with a pocket 50, and this may be left open at one side to receive a packing material, such as moss or leaves, or a pillow.

It is to be understood that the strip used with this pack board may be made in various lengths, and various widths, within practical limits, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and also that the locations of openings and slits may be changed as required to adapt it to a pack board frame of any particular construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r 1. A convertible pack board cover and stretcher bottom, comprising a continuous fabric. strip of a length corresponding to that of a stretcher and of a width approximately one and one-half times that of a pack board and formed along the full length of its side edges with hems providing tunnels for the reception of stretcher poles and having flanges extending from the side edges at the outside of said tunnels from one end of the strip for a distance therealong equal to the length of a packboard, and there being eyelets in said flanges for the reception of a lacing cord for the drawing and securement of the flanged end of the fabric strip about a pack board.

2. A convertible pack board cover and stretcher bottom as recited in claim I wherein the fabric strip is formed along the flanged end portion and at the inside of the tunnels with passages adapted to receive the pack securing hooks of a pack board therethrough, and across that end has a slot for passage of the shoulder straps of a pack board harness, and at a distance from the end has openings for passage of the ends of the side rails of the pack board.

ALFRED J. GOERG. 

